The reaction of superoxide radical with catalase. Mechanism of the inhibition of catalase by superoxide radical.

We have studied the time course of the absorption of bovine liver catalase after pulse radiolysis with oxygen saturation in the presence and absence of superoxide dismutase. In the absence of superoxide dismutase, catalase produced Compound I and another species. The formation of Compound I is due to the reaction of ferric catalase with hydrogen peroxide, which is generated by the disproportionation of the superoxide anion (O-2). The kinetic difference spectrum showed that the other species was neither Compound I nor II. In the presence of superoxide dismutase, the formation of this species was found to be inhibited, whereas that of Compound I was little affected. This suggests that this species is formed by the reaction of ferric catalase with O-2 and is probably the oxy form of this enzyme (Compound III). The rate constant for the reaction of O-2 and ferric catalase increased with a decrease in pH (cf. 4.5 X 10(4) M-1 s-1 at pH 9 and 4.6 X 10(6) M-1 s-1 at pH 5.). The pH dependence of the rate constant can be explained by assuming that HO2 reacts with this enzyme more rapidly than O-2.